Carbofuran in the yard and garden

What is carbofuran?

The IUPAC name is 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate.

Also known as: 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate, Furadan, Curaterr, Yaltox.

IUPAC name

2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranyl N-methylcarbamate

CAS number

1563-66-2

Molecular formula

C12H15NO3

Molecular weight

221.26 g/mol

SMILES

CC1(CC2=C(O1)C(=CC=C2)OC(=O)NC)C

PubChem CID

2566

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Carbofuran. The classifications differ — that's the data.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your yard encounter carbofuran

• legacy agricultural residues
• banned in most countries
• restricted use in limited areas

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Carbofuran:

• Imidacloprid (neonicotinoid)
  Trade-offs: Systemic — pollinators exposed via nectar/pollen. Aquatic toxicity. Neonicotinoid restrictions in EU.
  Relative cost: Similar
• Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) seed treatment
  Trade-offs: Target-specific (lepidoptera or coleoptera). Resistance development in western corn rootworm.
  Relative cost: Higher (as trait); lower (as spray)

Frequently asked questions